For the first time since the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him seven years ago, Deshea Townsend slept alone Sunday night at St. Vincent College. His long-time training camp roommate was a no-show.

"I just talked to Hines today," said Townsend, a cornerback who's one of Ward's closest and most-trusted friends. "He was razzing me. He told me I had to go to K-Mart and pick up some things for our room."

While Townsend sounded as if Ward's holdout won't last long, Steelers management can only wonder.

Townsend believes Ward will eventually report. Townsend knows what a competitor Ward is. Townsend knows how much Ward loves playing football.

Plus, Townsend figures Ward owes him.

"He has to pay me back for the things I bought for our room at K-Mart," Townsend said.

i am with you all, hines will report then get his money, they may do some back door deal and have the deal worked out before he returns to camp then when he gets to camp the steelers can save face by signing him a few days after he returns

After reading the following quotes, I had a strange thought.....this Ward hold out could be a good thing. Don't start bashing me yet.
This team is finding an identity now, and building confidence. Imagine if after a couple weeks and Ward returns and is working harder than ever.....this team could really rally around him. Your aprectiation for his leadership and what he brings to the table could be greater than ever before. If you couple that with the fact it is Jerome's last season....this could be a special year.

Quote:

"We?re starting over, and it?s about coming up here and building that camaraderie, building that sense of team, and you can?t do it talking about it in an air conditioned room, you can?t do it running around in shorts," said Cowher. "This is where the foundation is laid. We?re going to be pushing each other, competing with each other and living with each other for the next three weeks. It?s going to get heated, it?s going to get testy. We need to be able to push each other.

"First of all, Hines Ward, I love him as a player, a great kid," said Cowher. "He?s very much respected on this football team, not only by the players but by the entire organization. It?s unfortunate that it has come to this. We?re hopeful that he?ll get here sometime in the near future, but we are going to move on with or without him. Hopefully this thing will rectify itself, but we?re going to proceed with the players who are here.